The call went out on a Web site and over Twitter, and hundreds of 20- and 30-somethings, tired of being cooped up, gathered at 14th and U streets NW on Saturday for a little restless indulgence.

Snowball fight!

People squealed as they hurled balls of snow across the largely deserted road. Then, a snowball or two slammed into a Hummer. The driver, a plainclothes detective whom D.C. police refused to identify, got out, drew his gun and exchanged angry words with revelers, according to video footage and witnesses.

Police said initially that the detective had not flashed his weapon. On Sunday, the officer was placed on desk duty after Twitter, blogs and YouTube appeared to show otherwise.,,,,,,,,,,,

Cop says on video he pulled a gun because he was hit with a snowball

A plainclothes police detective allegedly pulled his gun out and waved it at a large group of people in a snowball fight at the corner of 14th and U streets NW Saturday afternoon.

An off-duty member of the Metropolitan Police Dept. was reportedly driving his personal car in the area when the car was suddenly pelted with a barrage of snowballs, according to a statement from the MPD.

The detective stopped his car, got out and approached a crowd of people that might have thrown the snowballs. He then got into a verbal fight with members of the crowd, according to police.............

i'm young, white, liberal and these kids just seem like entitled punks. yes, they don't deserve to be shot for a snowball fight. but don't throw snowballs at cars and people who had no idea what was going on without thinking there may be some repercussion. the people in the snowball fight weren't showing respect for others so there's no reason they should expect it for themselves.

i would be wicked pissed if my car or my person was hit by a snowball thrown by a stranger. i don't carry a gun EVEN if i did (which would never happen but lets say it could) I WOULD NOT WHIP IT OUT FOR AN ERRANT SNOWBALL